Is the United States government about to “normalize” relations with Cuba?

President Obama is set to give a speech at noon today about normalizing relations with Cuba which would of course mean lifting the the decades old embargo. This announcement comes on the heels of Cuba releasing an American contractor from prison who was caught working on projects to undermine the Cuban government. There has been no word if the Cuban political prisoners being held by the US government known as the Cuban 5 will be set free to return home.

Political prisoner advocates should be asking questions about what does this mean for Assata Shakur, a revolutionary activist from the USA who survived an assassination attempt by New Jersey state police officers and escaped false imprisonment before making her way to Cuba where she was granted political asylum. Assata shakur after 40 years of living in exile in Cuba was recently named to the FBI most wanted terrorist list despite being a victim of the FBI’s illegal secret war against Black activists and organizations during the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and despite the fact that she is innocent of killing a New Jersey state trooper who was attempting to kill her and her comrades.